Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 September 2014

Thursday, 18 September 2014

Questions (275, 276, 277, 278)

Frank Feighan

Question:

275. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount that has been paid out to date under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme. [34932/14]

Frank Feighan

Question:

276. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount that has been paid out to date to County Roscommon turf cutters under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme. [34933/14]

Frank Feighan

Question:

277. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount that has been paid out to date to County Galway turf cutters under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme. [34934/14]

Frank Feighan

Question:

278. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of persons who are affected by the cessation of turf cutting on the 53 raised bog Special Areas of Conservation. [34935/14]

Written answers

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

I propose to take Questions Nos. 275 to 278, inclusive, together

Some 3,000 applications for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme for raised bog special areas of conservation have been received and acknowledged by my Department. A total of 6,081 payments and 528 deliveries of turf have been made in respect of the applications received. In addition, 1,184 once-off incentive payments of €500 have been made to applicants who have signed and returned legal agreements under the scheme to my Department.

Details of the expenditure under the scheme to date, grouped by county, are set out in Table 1 SACs below. The total expenditure amounts to over €10.6 million. This expenditure is comprised of amounts paid in respect of annual payments, turf deliveries and once-off incentive payments. A number of raised bog special areas of conservation straddle more than one county and it is not possible to give a single figure per county where this arises.

The cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been extended to land owners and turbary right holders affected by the restrictions on turf cutting in raised bog natural heritage areas. To date, 125 applications have been received and 32 payments have been made at a cost of over €48,000 to applicants from these sites. Details of the expenditure under the scheme to date for these sites, grouped by county, are set out in Table 2 NHAs below.

My Department estimates that in the region of 2,000 individual applicants have received payments to date under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme for raised bog special areas of conservation. The closing date for the receipt of applications generally has passed for raised bog special area of conservation sites. However, my Department will continue to accept late applications under the scheme for the time being.

Table 1 SACs

Site Code	Name of raised bog special area of conservation	County	Expenditure under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme
000006	Killyconny Bog (Cloghbally)	Cavan/ Meath	€9,500
000231	Barroughter Bog	Galway
000248	Cloonmoylan Bog	Galway
000285	Kilsallagh Bog	Galway
000296	Lisnageeragh Bog and Ballinstack Turlough	Galway
000301	Lough Lurgeen Bog/ Glenamaddy Turlough	Galway
000326	Shankill West Bog	Galway
001242	Carrownagappul Bog	Galway
002347	Camderry Bog	Galway
002350	Curraghlehanagh Bog	Galway
002352	Monivea Bog	Galway
002356	Ardgraigue Bog	Galway	€2,232,084
000297	Lough Corrib	Galway/Mayo	€569,706
000382	Sheheree (Ardagh) Bog	Kerry
002351	Moanveanlagh Bog	Kerry	€105,000
000391	Ballynafagh Bog	Kildare
002331	Moud's Bog	Kildare	€651,683
000440	Lough Ree	Roscommon/Longford/ Westmeath/Mayo	€1,273,548
000497	Flughany Bog	Sligo	€65,000
000566	All Saints Bog and Esker	Offaly
000572	Clara Bog	Offaly
000575	Ferbane Bog	Offaly
000580	Mongan Bog	Offaly
000581	Moyclare Bog	Offaly
000582	Raheenmore Bog	Offaly
000585	Sharavogue Bog	Offaly	€460,218
000592	Bellanagare Bog	Roscommon
000595	Callow Bog	Roscommon
000597	Carrowbehy/Caher Bog	Roscommon
000600	Cloonchambers Bog	Roscommon
000604	Derrinea Bog	Roscommon
000614	Cloonshanville Bog	Roscommon
002338	Drumalough Bog	Roscommon
002339	Ballynamona Bog and Corkip Lough	Roscommon
002349	Corbo Bog	Roscommon
002354	Tullaghanrock Bog	Roscommon	€2,043,349
000641	Ballyduff/Clonfinane Bog	Tipperary
000647	Kilcarren-Firville Bog	Tipperary
002353	Redwood Bog	Tipperary	€425,276
000679	Garriskil Bog	Westmeath
002336	Carn Park Bog	Westmeath
002337	Crosswood Bog	Westmeath	€517,546
001818	Lough Forbes Complex	Roscommon/ Longford	€7,518
002110	Corliskea/Trien/Cloonfelliv Bog	Galway/ Roscommon	€398,000
002298	River Moy	Mayo/ Roscommon/ Sligo	€130,500
002332	Coolrain Bog	Laois
002333	Knockacoller Bog	Laois	€380,639
002340	Moneybeg and Clareisland Bogs	Meath/ Westmeath
002342	Mount Hevey Bog	Meath/ Westmeath	€549,398
002341	Ardagullion Bog	Longford
002346	Brown Bog	Longford
002348	Clooneen Bog	Longford	€202,851
002343	Tullaher Lough and Bog	Clare	€618,135

Table 2 NHAs

Site Code	Name of raised bog natural heritage area	County	Expenditure under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme
000985	Lough Kinale and Derragh Lough	Cavan, Longford and Westmeath	€1,521
000993	Ayle Lower Bog	Clare	€7,605
000229	Ballygar Bog	Galway
000281	Keeloges Bog	Galway
000307	Lough Tee Bog	Galway	€13,689
000321	Raford River Bog	Galway
001227	Aughrim Bog	Galway
001254	Derrinlough Bog	Galway
000333	Anna More Bog	Kerry	€3,042
001405	Cashel Bog	Leitrim	€3,042
000691	Rinn River	Leitrim and Longford	€1,521
001450	Mount Jessop Bog	Longford	€1,521
000565	Clonydonnin Bog	Offaly and Westmeath	€1,521
001623	Carrickynaghtan Bog	Roscommon	€6,084
000640	Arragh More Bog	Tipperary	€6,084
000937	Scohaboy Bog	Tipperary
000684	Lough Derravaragh	Westmeath	€3,042